How to Read “Those who keep fish in a pond must drive away otters and monkeys”
Chigyo wo takuwau mono wa kanarazu jōdatsu wo saru
Meaning of “Those who keep fish in a pond must drive away otters and monkeys”
This proverb means that to achieve your goals, you must first remove the obstacles that stand in your way.
When we try to accomplish something, we tend to focus only on the main task itself.
However, if we ignore the obstacles and hindrances around us, no amount of effort will bring results.
If your goal is to raise fish in a pond, you must first eliminate the predators that eat fish. Otherwise, the fish will never grow.
This proverb is used when showing priorities or explaining the proper order of solving fundamental problems.
Even today, this way of thinking applies to all situations: business, learning, and relationships.
It conveys practical wisdom. For success, you should first identify what prevents success, then remove those factors.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is believed to originate from ancient Chinese classics.
“Chigyo” means fish kept in a pond. “Jōdatsu” refers to monkeys and otters.
In ancient China, raising fish in ponds was an important way to secure food.
However, if monkeys or otters lived near the pond, these animals would prey on the fish.
Otters especially were troublesome. They feed mainly on fish and would invade ponds to eat fish one after another.
Monkeys could also catch fish from ponds with their nimble hands.
Therefore, anyone wanting to raise fish in a pond had to drive away these predators first.
No matter how good the young fish were or how carefully they were tended, the fish would not grow as long as these predators remained.
This practical wisdom gradually evolved into a life lesson.
The proverb expresses a universal truth through an easy-to-understand example: pond fish and their predators.
To achieve your purpose, you must first remove obstacles.
Interesting Facts
The otter in this proverb is also the origin of the Chinese term “dassai.”
Otters have a habit of lining up the fish they catch on the riverbank.
This sight resembles offerings at a festival, which is how the term was born.
Later, it came to describe the act of writing while surrounded by many books.
The pairing of monkeys and otters may represent threats from both land and water.
In other words, obstacles can come from any direction, not just one.
This suggests you must be prepared for problems from all angles.
Usage Examples
- Before starting a new business, we must first convince the opposition within the company. As they say, those who keep fish in a pond must drive away otters and monkeys
- If you want to succeed at dieting, those who keep fish in a pond must drive away otters and monkeys—start by throwing away all the snacks in your house
Universal Wisdom
This proverb teaches us about the essential attitude we need when approaching any task.
We often become absorbed in the goal itself and underestimate the factors that hinder it.
Why do people behave this way? Because positive actions feel more comfortable.
Raising fish is a creative and hopeful act. Driving away predators feels defensive and negative.
However, our ancestors understood something important. No matter how hard you work without a proper foundation, it is just a castle built on sand.
This wisdom has been passed down through generations for a reason.
Many people have learned through experience that success depends not on flashy efforts but on removing obstacles quietly.
As humans, we are easily distracted by surface actions rather than the essence of problems.
This proverb gently reminds us of this tendency.
Chasing dreams is wonderful, but preparing to protect those dreams is equally important.
True wisdom means knowing not just what to do, but what to do first.
When AI Hears This
This proverb about a single otter eating all the fish in a pond captures the essence of “disproportionate impact” in ecology.
The size of a threat is not determined by body size or numbers. It depends on which part of the system is attacked.
Otters are dangerous not because they eat a lot. They instinctively know the timing and location to disrupt the fish breeding cycle.
If they concentrate on eating parent fish during spawning season, next year’s fish population will decrease exponentially.
For example, if one parent fish lays 1,000 eggs, eating 10 parent fish effectively eliminates 10,000 future fish.
This is not simple addition but multiplicative damage.
Modern ecologist Robert Paine conducted an experiment. He removed a small predator, a starfish, and the entire coastal ecosystem collapsed.
He discovered that systems have “critical points.” When these are struck, the whole system breaks down in a chain reaction.
The same structure appears in corporate risk management.
A small cyber attack or the departure of one key person can paralyze an entire organization. There are countless examples.
This proverb teaches us to evaluate threats not by “quantity” but by “position within the system.”
This is a surprisingly modern perspective.
Lessons for Today
For those of us living in modern times, this proverb teaches the importance of priorities.
In an age overflowing with information and endless tasks, we need the ability to determine what to do first.
If you are trying to start something new, ask yourself this question first.
What is preventing me from reaching this goal?
It might be a bad habit that steals your time. It might be a negative relationship.
Or it might be fear or false beliefs within yourself.
What matters is recognizing these obstacles and having the courage to remove them.
Many people know obstacles exist but avoid confronting them. Instead, they escape into the main work.
However, this will never bring results.
This proverb teaches that preparation, which seems like a detour, is actually the most reliable shortcut.
If you want to raise abundant fish called success in the pond of your life, first identify what the predators are.
Then have the courage to drive them away.
That one step will greatly change your future.
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